Foreign donations: Subramanian Swamy attacks Kejriwal

Says Kejriwal effect is basically a media effect

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy today launched a scathing attack on Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal, alleging that donations to his party from abroad were questionable.

Swamy, who was interacting with reporters here on the sidelines of a function, was asked to comment whether AAP will emerge as a major player in the upcoming Delhi assembly polls.

"There is no Kejriwal effect (in the Delhi polls as is being projected in the media). Kejriwal effect is basically a media effect because some of the media is owned by business houses who find that Kejriwal will be a useful tool," he said.

"Now, all the donations he is getting from abroad, they are all under investigation. There is a PIL in the Delhi High Court..The Home Ministry on November 4 has given him a list of 30 questions to answer, but he has still not answered," he said.

Kejriwal had welcomed the probe ordered by the Home Ministry and demanded that Congress, BJP and other parties should also be asked to explain the source of their large donations.

Asked about SP leader Naresh Agarwal's apparent dig at BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, saying that a person who used to sell tea cannot have a national perspective, Swamy said, "All tea sellers and stall owners who sell tea to earn their daily livelihood feel offended with Agarwal's remark that people from low backgrounds cannot rise to the level of holding the post of Prime Minister."

"..Atleast, Narendra Modi proudly stated this and kept this fact before the public that he used to run a tea stall," he said.

About all out offensive against Modi by Congress and its allies, Swamy said, "It is understandable, they are afraid of Modi. He has massive crowds behind him... The young generation is backing him and they know Rahul Gandhi is just a novice".

With spiralling prices of onion and other vegetables pushing the wholesale inflation to an eight-month high of 7 per cent, Swamy said this was due to faulty policies of the Union Government.

"All this inflation is artificial. The Government has adopted a disastrous policy of permitting corporate houses to do forward trading in foodgrains and food products," he said.